Railroad-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. 0. HOWELL.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. s33, 258. Patented Dec. 29, 1885.

Ir /Er hn t N. PETER$ Plmlo-Lflhugmphor. Washington. n.6,

-2 Sheets-Sheet 2:

(.No Model.)

B. 0. ROWELL.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 333,258. Patented Dec. 29, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENTON O. ROWELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,258, dated December29, 1385. Application filed November 26, 1884. Serial No. 118,957. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, BENTON O. RoWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Switches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for operating arailroad-switch from the cab of a locomotive, under the control of theengineer of the locomotive, and while the train is in motion, atwhatever rate of speed.

The invention consists in the employment of an inner wheel placed uponthe rear axleof the forward truck of a locomotive-engine and between thewheels of said axle. The said inner wheel is allowed a certain lateralmovement upon the axle, so as to come in contact with and press down oneof two inclined levers, as required, the said levers being placed on thetrack between the rails, and connected by a system of levers and rodswith the free ends of the switch-rails. The said inner wheel is causedto move to one side or the other,when required, to press down one or theother of the inclined levers, by means of a crank and lever connected toa rod or bar extending back into the cab of the locomotive, where it isconnected to a hand-lever to be operated by the engineer.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of aportion of a railroad track and switch embodying my invention, theswitch being set to the main track. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe operative parts of the switch at and below the track. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of a locomotive, showing the central wheel and itsconnection with a lever in the locom0tive=cab. Fig. 4 is a plan of thetrack and the switch attachments under the locomotive.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the several figures.

B B represent the rails of the main track,-

A A the rails of a side track, and O O the switch-rails.

D D are two bars or levers pivoted to crossbars in the track, and areplaced between the rails of the main track. The said levers are soarranged and connected that while one is inclined upward the otherisparallel with the rails 13 B, as indicated in Fig. 2. The levers D D areinclosed in casings I 1 for protection against dust, 8m.

E, Figs. 1 and 2, is a shaft or bar extending across the track. To theshaft E are secured three cranlcarms, i i i, and to the ends of the arms6 t are pivoted the links j j. The other ends of the links j j arepivoted, respectively,v to the free ends of the levers D D. The end ofthe arm 1" is provided with a slot, through which passes a pin in theend of a bar or rod,

F, which passes forward and is connected to a crank-lever, M, for apurpose hereinafter described. To the bar. or rod F is pivoted an arm,K, of a bell-crank lever, K K, and the end of the arm K is pivoted tothe tie-bar F, which connects the two free ends of the switchrails O C.To the arm K is also connected a bar, 9, to which is pivoted one end ofan arm, G, which is connected to a signal, G, of wellknown construction,and which indicates the position of the switch on approaching the same.At a short distance from the other end of the switch is a bar or shaft,H, to which are secured crank-arms M M, the arm M being connected by abar, N, to the free end of a lever, I, and on the opposite end of theshaft H is a similar crank-arm, M, and link h, similarly connected withthe lever I, by which means a locomotive coming in the oppositedirection will, by depressing the lever I or 1, cause the shaft H tomove the rod F, and there by open or close the switch, as may berequired. The levers I I are placed inside and 8 5 next to therails,respectively, and are operated by the wheels of the locomotive.

The operative mechanisms below the track are inclosed in boxes orcasings L L L, for protection against injury.

Upon the rear axle, T, of the forward truck of the locomotive, andbetween the wheels of the same, is placed a wheel, R. (See Figs. 3 and4.) This wheel is allowed to slide on the axle T, so as to change itsposition on the same to the right and left, as required. At one side ofthe wheel R is secured, or it may form part of the same, a groovedshipper, R.

p Q is a crank-lever, having arms which fit in the grooved shipper. Oneend of the cranklever Q is pivoted to the lever P P, which is fulcrumedon a shaft, S, supported in bars on the under side of the locomotive. Tothe opposite end of the shaft S is pivoted a rod, 0,

that extends back into the cab of the locomotive, and is connected witha lever, O, in the cab of the locomotive, so as to be readily operatedby the engineer.

By my improved arrangement of parts, and connecting the levers which areto be operated upon by the locomotive with the switch-rails by means ofa single rod through a series of bell-crank levers and interposed rods,I am enabled automatically to practically operate a switch with greaterfacility and much less wear and strain upon the various parts of themechanism than has been heretofore accomplished by any of thecontrivances in use.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. As an improvement in the means foroperating railroad-switches automatically, the combination of fouroperating-levers, D D and I I, and the switch-rails of a railroad-trackby positively connecting them together through bell-crank levers with asingle connectingrod, F, the levers D D and I I having respectivelyinterposed between them and the bellcranks the connecting links or rodsjj and the crank-lever Q, the lever P P, rod 0, and lever 0, located inthe cab of a locomotive,

whereby the switch 0 C can be operated by the engineer, substantially asset forth.

- In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENTON C. ROWELL.

Witn esses:

J H. ADAMS, CHAS. F. LIGHT.

